Automatic firearm.



A. V. P. M. BBRTHIBR.

AUTOMATIC PIRBARM. YAPPLIGA'IION FILED SEPT.16, 1909.

Patented Jan.6,1914.

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A. V. P. M. BERTHIER.

- AUTOMATIC PIREAEM. APPLICATION FILED SB'PT.16,1909.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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AUTOMATIC FIRBARM. 4 APPLICATION FILED SEPT.16, 1909.

Patented Jan. 6,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 ...1.141 d. .lfm

mllllltm Mem@ To @ZZ 'whom it may concem'f l Be 1t known that ANDR 'ii/mines: Piani. Meme Beatmung a. cihzen ci' the' enubii -of Fience, residing ce No.. 9G Ene de nisln is cieriveii from `he geses, 'whicheie set free when the shot is fired.

Referring `to Jche accompanying chewings, Figure l is a side elevation of a fire ccnstxucteci according to this invention; 2 is eiongitudinei section thiongh Jche part ci' thefire acm between the lines'ii A. and B B (Eig. 1)' and shows Jche Whcie breech incchz'i.-

msm and eiscvi-hc repeat-ing and triggers mechanism `with Withdrawn cocking handle:

Fig. 3 is e. longitudinal section through thai part between B B (Fig. Demi the bai'rci tion *6, a. hippie 'Z' and c reend of the fire arm; Fig. i is a ci-oss-secio'n according to'iinc C C of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, is :iA veide elevation ci' jche breech block.

6 isc rear-end elevation thereof. 'i' is e. pien view-thereof. Fig. 8 is e pien View of -the cariidge extractor. Fig. 9 is a sectional View of the caftiicigedeiiecor, with parte in. elevation. Fig. ll is e Jcmnsveise sectional 'View with the-dciiector inveievauon.

Figc il lis a. sicie eievetion of a. modified ...forni of the piston and iii'ingpm, with pei,

thereof in section. Fig. 12 en en@` cion 'hcicof. Fig; lis e seciionii i e inoiiiiefl ici-1n of `ereangeinen'u ieg'niet-ing c ,T supply. Wih iegeid to the general arrangement ci the new ire erin, it compi-isses essentieiiy the mitoineic opemting mechanism, the breech mechanism, the tiiggei mechanism, the magazine, the barrel and breech casing,

lche cociing ineens, Athe shooting stay or si1pport, the cockinghendie and the caiiridge cese iieiiectoi'.

The automatic mechanism includes a piston l (Figs. 2 end 3) mede out ci cnc piece,

whose front end 2 extends into ihe ges chamber and whose ohei endis pi'cvided on theiowei side with ihe ,ifo secr nctches and sind on the'njpper si( Wiih e pif-ejeciforcenienl ce shoulder 8. The iater is adept-ed to rece'ive the re'coii Wi'h ies forward end and to move the' breech biock backward with its reef endv when he shoe is ii'ed. An elastic ring heid by a. pin '1i and inserted between the reinfcicement 8 end. the abutment of the breech biock is prcvided for the purpose-0i iessening the shock between these two .pe-ris. The perte 6 and 7 serve for ceifiying, closing 'ami @peni the breech mechanism @mi also iciy operzting the firing pin, es Wiii be described i'eteron. Thedi'ivl spying '3 is provicied within the piston 1.

The breech mechanism comprises theioi? iowing penis: the breech biock 9, the boit hee l2, the connecting pin 26, the striking pin 3.3, the eeft-ridge extiactorl, ishe projection 6 and the Hippie 7. The @Weinstncmed peres eiect he closing movement of the bie.,u i boi-t. The breech block E) is proviieci .on its upfpei reci'. part iviih the nipple l5. Guide piene surfaces 17 (Figs. 2-5) are pioi'ideci on the ioWci part ofrt'hebreech block and symnieiricaiiyio its 'ef-iis. These guide'sufeces begin ai; the forwa'ijd' part and extenfi only ici' a certain distance perab undergo at 18,18 en inclination, which corresponds to e ceiiein'eievction' of the breech bei; These inciined guieie' surfaces lS-lS are so connecieii to two other guide siirfcces 19-l by ineens ci side pieces 20-20 that they eye heid in position and are integral wih ihe breech boit. At 'the end of these cHide surfaces is a. IUceifisveise siot 21, Whose geh and height is somewhat ierger than distance between said surfaces, seid slot being adapted "no receive the T shaped head of the nipple Y. At the rear lower part, a. stud 23 uniesboth lowerinciinedrsuifeces iQ--leg said sind. eiso'serving as an abutment for the projection 6 of the piston. snieii inciined guide piene 2i en the front iower part in front of the nipple 25 releases, ec e preeei'mine time, the' T of the nipple from its boit head1?. (Figs. 2 and 5) is connected ic the breech biock by the pin 2G the -bvo cheeks`27--2L which embrace the front abutment 28 oi the breech boli. The beit. heed moves in e, corresponding guide on ...he casing and ces notaie part in the ascending movement, of the breech bicch.

lei to' Jfhe exis ci he breech-boit., Jdien they y (Fig. and is guided iateieiiy through The front face of the bolt head remains always parallel to the rear end of the barrel, which is necessary for insuring engagement and' extraction ci the cartridge. rPhe front part of the bolt head is conical and has two projections 22;)-29 adapted to advance .the cartridges. The firing pin 13 is moved toi` ward bythe nipple 7 by means of its fori ward face 30, forthe firing, and rearwardly by means of the rear face 3l.

rlhe cartridge extractor 14 is mounted on the breech block by means of a pin 32 which engages in a curved recess 33 in such a manner that the breech block can ascend and de-- scend independently of the cartridge eX- tractor, which is guided .during its entire course in. a longitudinal roove 84 'of the breech casing (Fig. 4). he extractor 14 4cannot move in a vertica direction. There moves alone to such an extent rearwardly as-l the play allows which the cartridge extractor has for passing over the cartridge edge when the breech block is being closed.' AAt this moment, the shoulder rises to the'edge, whereby the tension of the cartridge en tractor is increased vand also its power. It

must be stated that the cartridge extractorv yields at its rear end' or enabling it to pass over the ed ge of the cartridge and that when withdrawing the cartridge case, a reinforcement close to the projection of the cartridge extractor taires up the nll, While in former cartridge extractors, t le same part which provided for the pull also served as spring. The reinforcement 35 is supported in a recess 86 (Fig. 5) in the right side of the breech block.

The trigger mechanism consists of a` recessed scar 37, which oscillates on the pin 88 and whose rear arm is prcyided with a plate 39, in which is mounted one end of a spiral spring 40. This scar engages in the scar notch 4 of thepiston 1 in the case of individual firing. The second sear 41 carries on its rear arm a spiral spring 42 and has a reinforcement 44 between this spring and the axis 43 of the-sear 41. There engages in the said reinforcement a small spring 45, the vhook 46'oscillating onthe aXis 47. The

i shoulder 48y of this hook limits its position with respect' to the sear 41. This second Sear serves for automatic tiring, the hook 46 The magazine 50 (Figs. 2 and 4) contains a number of cartridges 51 whichI are ar- `which bears in a corresponding recess .56ct

the sleeve 52. Only one of such tongues may be employed at the front. Two lateral lips 57 (Fig. 4) between which the projections 29 of the bolt head extend insert the cartridge into the chamber. .An angularly bent metal plate 58, as shown in Fig. 4, is adapted to press downward the cartridges under the action of a fanshaped bent fiat spring 59. The plate 58 is-'so bent that a projection 60 is formed, whereby the cartridges receive their zigzag arrangement.

vWith regard to the barrel and breech casing, there is provided between the bearing sleeve 52 oi the magazine and the rear end -o the barrel, the guiding cone 61, which forms an integral part of the 'breech casing.

This cone has for its object to l`guide the rojectile when it enters the barrel chamer. At the rear end of this co-ne and in the lower part of the breech cylinder bearing, there is a guide piece 16, which also forms an integral part of the breech casing and causes the breech block 9 to rise when during its forward movement, it moves with the inclined plane 24 on to the breech casing, as hereinafter explained.

\ The breechcasino' is of such a shape (Fig. 4),' that it permits die sliding of the cooking handle on the fguides 22. .The barrel carries onl'a suitable part a block 611; this block, which ma be secr-red to the barrel7 or. be integral t ierewithflhffs a passage 62 which extendingthrough the rfarrel wall establishes the communication of the interior chamber of the barrel with the gas chamber in which the end' 2 (Fig. 13) of the piston 1 engages. The quantity of gas in the chamber Gti-may be 'regulated by a cylinder 64 rotating horizontatlly in 'the piece 61. On the periphery of the cylinder 64, there are recesses (chambers) 65 of different sizes, which are adapted to regulate the quantity of gas in the chamber 63. A bolt with elasticlarm 66 having a projection entering av correspondingly shaped recessin the periphery oft the cylinder 64 permits the latter to be locked in position.` l

The arrangement, of the cooling Ameans is based on the combination of a thin tube surrounding' the barrel and a water recepmethod has the advantage that the cooler needonly be of small proportions and that the barrel may at any time be cooled down to a temperature suitable for shooting pur rposes. -Asihe evaporation of the Water is ne to heating. The tubes ere secured by ineens of rings oi- 'with smiling box gemis and seiews between conical recesses in the hieeeh casing. The piece 6l and the sightling i4 else eini a uit of the eeeling means. The eocling iii is zuelield by nuts 72--73g which secure an ashestos or, @they packing. The sight-ying 7e is screwed, on to the bari-e1. rlhie mede Q connection permits the' cooling ineens to he teken io pieces foi the purposee examining er replacing parts thereof. @n the left side ei? the cooiing means. there are. im@ tubes 75 76 (lfligt i7, 2, 3) which :ire uniefi est] ene peint accessible te the hand of the :eifieinan eij'he seeenfl cpex'etoi, who has te connect the stsi'gienery el portable *miei* receptacle with the cooling ineens. Gn the Tight side e'" the ceeleigthere ae twe other tubes 7'1"*78 (Fig. l) which are likewise connect/eel lwith. e. iexiole tube leading to the ground aed'thif'ough which he steam escapes filet is pieelueed for cooling the betrek lf 'only one ceeler is employed, there nee-fi only be one supply tube and one discharging tube. The discharging tube may also be eoniieciecl @iii-th one of alle legs of the hereimifer described shoot-ing stay.

The handle adepteii to cock and Gerry the lire elim in he hanf. 'consists of acep 92 of steel plate (Fifn), which is pxovifled at both enfle with projections 93.--94, between which 4the Wooden handle 95 (Figs: 914i) is Sezn'etl. ine lat-ter extends laterally up into the bends ef the cap 92. The progectioii 93 The Dro'- gee'tieii 9i has e nose 96 which slides in a 'shit S'" @if the guide tube 98. The nose 96 :zei en ihe neee 99 of the pist-0n.

le position of rest, the cocking handle secured in' n spring 100 inserted between the 'cap 92 (Fig. il) and the Wooden handle, 'the hook of such 'spring engaging. in 9. re-

lO'l. in the gurle tube of thel piston. It een he reino-verl eut-of this position meely by it pull et the handle.

'The deliiea'iei' 118 has for its ehject to eliifeet dewnwaadlythe ejected cartridge eases in irene of ille 'iiiieman at an angle oi' 4:50. ifhe fleiieeter eseillfites 011 an axis 115 -ll` and l2) and is held in, the open and cies-ed position by a spring 116 which is seein-eil to the breech casing. This spring may eet 'on planes 117 or in recesses 'contained in ehe i'onndedefige of the deector, inthe positionmf rest, the deiieetoi' closes the ehiectoi' opening und pwtects eli-e mechanism against the penetration of dust.

The operation of the fireV erm is es fcllows: Iii, foi' exemple, ihe :fire erm is adi 'juste fer individualA iii-ing, e, pressure ef the finger on the trigger 4Q causes the letter t0 turn' on ehe The hook i6 lits *he plate 39 to such mi enteiii 'that the seau. 3T is lowered below the notch -l oi? the piston which; is released from seni' 57. The piston 'l moves im furti uinier the actin of its spring 3 until the noeeh 5 enters into ene'egeinen'e with the senr: 1li which is not yet ieleay nl fiom the i' ou l, @n continuing' ine presseteoi nenngei' cn the linger-piece. the hwk-416 is releeseil eni the plate 0i? the'sem` 3?; the seen 37 tends antler ythe uetioii of its spring 40 te ietnijn feoits ei'iginel posiien and is therefore prepared te fiiop inea the see-i' notch ef the piston-When il; ieurns to its initial position. Un the-sem* il Continuing its movement? itis released from the notch 5 of the pist-oir, which is new (liiiee Tferwzu'cl hy its spying' yBy ineans'of the projection (i and ehe nipple 7, the piston carries the breech ihleek inizi reet-linien? movement until the iu- @lined piene ijrezu'hes the stationary part i6 and lits the i'elii perl: et the breech block which oseilln'tes en the pin 2li. parto'F-the breech block will then be released from the projection 6 end the nipple 7 passes eut of the vnotch 31. Dui-ing the rectilinear movementef the breech block, the bolthead passes ori-"t0 the bottoni em:- tiidge in the magazine and. pushes it foi'- war, whereupon projectile enters the cone and then the @arti-ridge chamber'. The cartridge extractor ifi engages over the edge of the cartridge. The breech block is now closed behind `the cartridge. At this 1nonient, the nipple 7, which continues the' rec- The rear tilinezu"movement :incl carries the striking pin, passes on te the inclined planes i8 `of the breech bleek, compels the' laitier te rise eiiil its nipple i5 enters the groove 129. 0n the piston continuing its iei'wziifl movement 'niiflei the breech holt.y it eei'iies the firing' pin und finally 'Y i'ecte the iii-ing ei ille shoe. part 0i the explosive gases pass through the passage 62 into the gas chamber 65 ami acts on the enel 2 of the piston, which is thus driven relire/"afd 'enel performs thel abovenv ters inta engagement with thel seei 37.H The pulls Vil has: returned to its originalposition.

action of the finger on the trigger is eompleted and the sea'r t1 returns' to its position under the action of the spring 19. -On the plate iii) inlinel in contact. with the hook 4G, the latter deviales while compressing its spring! t3 and reaesuming its position ot' engagement; under tbeplatelt when the seal' A second pressnre'on the trigger causes a second shot etc. The repeating key 102 mounted on the aun and having tivo abutments 103 may be operated outwardly7 from the left by an arm 101 which has a boss for engaging; in the recesses 105 in order to secure the key in position. f

Fouille purpose of automatic shooting', the key 102 is placed in. the positionas indicated in Fig. 2, in which position one ot' the shoulders 105i acts onthe Sear 3,7, depressing the same and releasing it from the notch 11 oi the piston, which. however is secured by the notch vOn, exerting' a constant pressure on thetrie'ger 49, the above-described movements/of the mechanism will be repeated as often as cartridges are contained in the magazine. `When the last cartridge case is ejected, the mechanism 'closes again, the pressure ol" the finger on the trigger ceases and the mechanism is cocked again by the 'rocking handle, The 'possibility' is obvious from the described arrangement of' 'thevtrieger mechanism to cock the breech mechanism no matter whether the'repeating key is adjusted for individual or automatic tiring.

Fig. 11 and-,the 'following figures are diagrammatic views of moditications.

Fig'. l1 shows a modification of the alreadydescribed piston. thas for its object to lessen the shock on the nipple 25 and toed'ectslow firing in that a larger iutei-val is provided for between the shot and the eonnneiieeinenty of the opening,T or the breech bolt; 'the piston consists of two parts ltlt-ldhavhieh slide. one within Vthe other and between whit-lia spring 10S is interposed. This spring takes up the cnergy 'oli the gras imparted to the head l oi the piston and delivers it to the rpart 10T when the pas pressure on the breech holt has ceased. The intermediate spring." may also be dispensed with and they retardation he taken iiroin the iront part of the piston by pressure on the driving spring psaid piston sliding` in the rear part. The nipple 7 may be quite imlepeinleiit of the piston. ln this` ease, the nipple is fixed or wedged by a screw or a pin 109 inan alnitnient 110. which is tapered above in order to engage in a correspondinfnr recess 111 of the tiring" pin` 13. 'I'liisabutnient 110 forms an integral part of the piston and is sutlicientl)vv high to bring" the shock ol the pereuseion clore to the axis ol` the tiringf pin. ln the latter is the recess 111 in Which the abutment 110 engages. The two eheel-:s are thus .--ilipei'l'liious.

Fig. 13 represents a device il'or varying the capacit)7 of the gas chamber. vlt consists of a vertical rotatable drum 112 con'- taining recesses 113 or' various sizes, so that by suitably adjusting the drinn the capacity of the gas chamber G3 can be increased or decreased and the action olf the Q'aa on the tf barrel, ay receiver, a breech block slidablv mounted in said receiver and provided with a transverse slot and inclined surfaces {orniing a notch, a-recoil piston havin;` a nipple engaging said slot, an inclined guide snrlacc on the lower end of the breech block, and means coporating with said guide :sur 'af-e for releasing the nipple from the slot, suhstantially as set forth.

2. An automatic fire-arm, ci'unprisine a barrel, aieceivcr, a breech block slidabl'iv mounted in the receiver and provided fith a transverse sl'ot'andinclined surfaces on the lower end of the breech block forming a. notch, aninclincd guide surface ou the lower end of the breech block, and a, guide piece extending rearwardly -from the forward end of the receiver and adapted to engage said. guide surface. 'and canse the breech bloei;- to swing vertically upward, substantiaily as set,- forth. 'i

f3. An automatic fire-arm, comprising a barrel, al receiver, a breech block slidably n'iounted in said receiver.A a `gas tubeinounted beneath said barrel and adapted to. receive gas therefrom, a piston reciprocably mount,- cd in said gas tubeand i'novidcdwith trig- `ger rests, connections between said piston and said` breech `hlock,l an operating scar adapted toeng'ag'e one of said-trigger ts, an actuated sear actuated by said operating seal" and adapted to engage second trigger rest, meanscarried bythe operating Sear and adapted to engage and actuaie the actu" ated Hear, and means for-operating said operaliner Sear, substantially" asset forth.

4. An auttnnatic fire-armycornprisiuo" a barrel, a receiver, a breech-'block slidaoly' mounted in the receiver, a gaslfnhemounted beneath .said barrel and adapted'to'receivel gas therefrom, a piston reciprocablymounted in said ,f1-as tube, and provided with trigger rests, connections betweensaid piston and said breh block, an operating seaiadapted to engage one'o said trigger rests, an actuated Sear actuated by said coperating seal' and, adapted toengoge a second trigger rest, means eujinedbydsaid operating 's ai and aapted to engage and actuete said actuated soar, means for o eratin said operating eem', and means or hol ing the actuated Sear in inoperative position, substantieiy es eee forth. i e

n 5.1M automatic re-arm, comprising a barrel, e." receiver, a breech block, slidably mounted in said receiver, a gas tube mounted beneath said barrel, and adapted to receive' gatherefrom, a, iston reeiprocably mounted in Said gas tu e and provided With trigger lrests;s connections between said piston ami adapted to engage um] aotuzie the actu-- aed sem, mesme im: holding the acuated sem' in inoperative posiion, and means for securing said. hoifing means in operative' position, subfantiniiy set fgrih.

En estimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDR mom PAUL more BERNIER. `Witn ess-es H. C. Coxc,

JAQK H. BAKER 

